Method for forming flanges on pipes



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,229

F. C. FANTZ METHOD FOR FORMING FLANGES ON PIPES Filed Aug. 17, 1926 '21Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FRED c. mnz

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1928.

- 1,696,229 F. C. FANTZ I METHOD FOR FORMING FLANGES -ON PIPES FiledAug. 17, 1926 2 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR. FRED C. FANTZ BYQ Z A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,696,229 PATENT OFFICE.

. FBEI) C. FANTZ, OF iWEBS'IER GROVES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR-TO MIDWESTPIPING & SUPPLY COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ACORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

METHOD FOR FORMING FLANGES ON PIPES.

Application filed August 17, 1926. Serial No. 129,742.

This invention is particularly advantageous in fianging pipes-which aredesigned to carry fluids under high pressure, or combined pressure andtemperature. It is well I .5 known that when the end of a tube is turnedoutwardly to flange it, there is a. tendency to stretch the metal andcorrespondingly to weaken it, with the danger that it may fracturewhensubjected tohigh pressure under the strains resulting fromtemperature changes.

My method entirel overcomes this danger, and by its use a ange is formedon the pipe, or tube, which is of greater thickness than thetube wall.

i It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art, fromthe hereinaftercontained description, that my method is not confined to-that particularclass of tubes, but in addition to the ordinary kind of tubing, may alsobe used for rolling over the tops of tin cans and other shapes of lightmaterial, by designing the shape of the punch, or plunger, used, so thatit will curl the thin material over instead of upsetting it.

Another difficulty in flanging tubes is the ver great tendency of thewalls to buckle un er the applied pressure. Attempts have been made toovercome this by such methods as are employed in the patent to Lindberg,No. 1,421,507, inwhicha plurality of vertical and horizontal rollers areemplo ed, the horizontal ones to roll out the hue ed portion, I and thevertical ones to roll back the flange. In following this method, thetube is first flared outwardly by the use of a conical roller, and thenrolled to the shape of the die b the Vertical rollers. This isobjectiona 1e, particularly in rolling out the- 40 buckled portions,because the rollers necessarily have to be extremely small when used ontubes of small diametersay, under three inchesand the spindlessupporting the roll ers would, under such conditions, be too small tostand up under the work required of them. Even when this objection doesnot :1 ply, such methods are further objectionable, in that they areexpensive because of the necessity for constant renewal, by reason ofthe constant heating and consequent deterioration, of the spindles andbearings upon which the rollers turn.

My method has for its object to entirely dispense with rolling and withrollers, and

of the material, and also avoids the objectionable features alwayspresent when a method is used which employs rollers.

My invention has for its further object, to provide a method in whichthere is no rolling action at all, and,'as a consequence, it can beusedto form flanges upon any shape of tubes, not being limited to tubes ofcircular form.

For the purpose of illustrating a concrete embodiment of an a paratusutilizing my improved method, reFerence may be had to the drawings whichaccompany this specification, and which are hereunto attached and made apart hereof, in which Fig. 1 shows an elevation view of my device,partially in section;

1 Fig. 2 shows another elevation view of my device, partially insection;

Figs. 3 and 4 show modified forms of my device, partially in section;

Figs. 5, 6, and 8, show, diagrammatically, an exemplification of themanner of function ing of my device in its operation.

As shown in these drawings, I provide a die block 1, which isconstructed of suitable material, and has formed in one side a recess 2,of the desired configuration for the flan e which is'to be formedupon-the tube 3, on y a fragmentary portion of the latter being shown.

Suitable means may be employed to clamp the tube 3 firmly in the dieblock 1, but as such clam ing means are more or less standard and wellnown in the art, -I have not illustrated them. In some cases, as willhereinafter appear, it may be found desirable to hold the flange formingdevice in a substantially stationary position, longitudinally, and toapply the pressure longitudinally to the tube. In some cases where it isdesired to selectively advance the tube and plunger, this maybeaccomplished by my process. A spindle 4 is provided, which may bemounted in a suitable hearing 5. This spindle 4 is rotated by means ofany suitable driving mechanism (not shown, as obviously this forms nopart of my invention). Upon the spindle 4 is mounted a face plate 6;which has secured thereto'the kneader, or plunger,-7. This plunger 7 isprovided with an enlarged portion 8, the walls of which taper inwardlytowards the face plate 6.- The face 9 of this enlarged portion 8 is shaed to conform to the shape and size of the esired finished flangeportion of the tube 3. The kneader, or plunger, 7, is provided with anoutwardly extending portion 10, the walls of which are tapered, so thatin the osition shown in Fig. 1 there will be a longitudinal line contactbetween the surface of the tapered portion 10 and the inner wall of thetube 3, and also between the face 9 and the end of the tube 3.

This kneader, or plun er, 7, is mounted so that the axis of the spin e 4crosses the axis of the plunger 7 in substantially the plane where thetapered portion 10 joins the face 9 of the enlarged portion 8. It may befound desirable to provide a thrust bearing 11, of standardconstruction, intermediate the face plate 6 and the rear wall of theenlarged portion 8 of the kneader, or plunger, 7.

Having provided the apparatus thus far described, I shall proceed todescribe the steps employed in my method. The end 12 of the tube 3 isheated to the desired temperature, and it is then placed in the dieblock 1 and held securely in position. The spindle 4 and plunger 7 arethen moved forward, the kneader 7 being inserted in the tube 3, in theposition shown in Fig. 1. Longitudinal pressure is then applied byfurther forward movement of the spindle 4, which has rotating meansassociated with it, or the driving means may be secured in any other ofthe well known mechanical means to permit longitudinal movement of arotating part.

The rotation of the spindle 4 and the face plate 6 by the driving means,will impart a gyratory motion to the face 9 and the tapered member 10,of the kneader, or plunger, 7, about the substantially fixed centerwhere the two axes, i. e., of the spindle 4 and the plunger 7,intersect.

The result of this motion is that the face' 9 of the enlarged portion 8,due to the longitudinal pressure exerted upon it, upsets the heated end12 of the tube 3, and sinceit has only a single line point contact,which is continually advanced, it'kneads the heated metal into theconfiguration of the recess 2 in the die block 1.

The enlarged portion 8 should substantially, for all practical purposes,fill the opening or recess 2 in the die block 1, thus preventing anyescape of the metal from the recess 2.

It will also be seen that since, owing to the angle of the kneader, orplunger, 7, it only makes a point contact with the work, the pressureis, consequently, applied only to a very small part of the periphery ofthe heated end 12 of the tube 3, at any one time. lVhile the face 9 isworking and kneading the material, the surface of the member 10 iscontacting the inner wall of the tube 3 at a point diametricallyopposite the point contacted by the face 9, thereby smoothing out anybuckles that might have been formed in the tube 3, and actually kneadingthe material to the desired form and thickness.

Inasmuch as the kneader, or plunger, 7, does not revolve upon its ownaxis, nor with relation to the work or the tube 3, therefore my methodcan be employed to flange any desired shape of tube.

In the detail views, Figs. 5, G, 7, and 8, I have shown the conditionsof the tube 3 as it is kneaded or worked into the finished lap. In Fig.5, I show the upsetting of the tube 3 to substantially 'the amount whichit will stand beforebending and coming in contact with the walls of therecessed portion 2 of the die block 1, which will prevent its flaringfurther or turning over. This portion of the tube 3 is then upset by afurther advance of the plunger. 7, by the longitudinal pressure exertedthereon, until it is forced, through the various stages shown, into thefinished shape shown in Fig. 2.

I have described an apparatus in which the pressure is exerted upon thekneader, or plunger, 7, through the medium of the spindle 4 and the faceplate 6. It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art, that it willbe'equally easy to have these parts stationary, longitudinally, and toapply the pressure to the tube 3, in which case, of course, the latterwill be loosely held in the die block 1, to permit its advance as thesteel and its alloys, forms the tube, but in tubes made of soft metal,such as lead, copper, brass, etc., it is unnecessary to heat the end ofthe tube; and therefore I wish it understood that my process is not atall 1imited to the handling of a tube, the end of which is under a hightemperature.

There will, of course, be a number of varieties of forms of apparatuswhich can be utilized to carry out my improved method, and I do notdesire to be understood as limiting. myself, in the slightest degree, tothe appai atus shown, which, is, as stated, furnished solely forillustrative purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent'of the United States, is:

l. The method offlanging tubes of any conformation, which consists ofapplying pressure, simultaneously, by a common element rotating with agyratory movement, to the end of the tube to upset said end, and to theinner wall'of the tube to-provide against 2. A method of flanging tubesof any shape, which consists in applying a gyratory movement to apressure exerting element,

said element simultaneously engaging the end of thetube and the innerwall thereof at a point opposite to the said end engagement. 3. A methodof flanging tubes of any shape, which consists in applying a gyratorymovement to a pressure exerting element,

said element simultaneously engaging the end of the tube and the innerwall thereof at a point opposite to the said end engagement, andcontrolling and shaping the out-' FRED o. FANTZ.

